Blast from the past. Going into the 2005 season, I had endured three losses to Oklahoma as a Texas fan after showing up on the UT campus in 2002. I wasn't sure if a Mack Brown-coached team could even compete against OU. But then there was Rhett Bomar. Ah, Rhett Bomar, my heart swells with happiness at the sound of your name. The Longhorn defense abused the young quarterback and young offensive line (the same lineman that are now seniors) that day, sending OU crawling back to Norman with their tails between their legs. And for me, Texas finally showed that Bob Stoops didn't own their mortal souls and that the team could come out with every bit of the OU swagger that had turned Texas players into little sniveling wrecks. Bomar symbolized the victory, as Texas defenders harassed him into a 12-33, 1 int performance. Revel once again in the victory, Longhorn fans, and let's go to Dallas and Bomar Sam Bradford.

Rhett Bomar gets laid out (via dbw11783)

McCoy becomes a man. He may not be 40 (or 41 now), but Colt McCoy is every bit (and probably more) of the man Mike Gundy claims to be. And he won't be afraid of Oklahoma players coming after him. Not with the nearly 30 pounds of muscle he's added since showing up on the 40 Acres, newly-acquired speed to burn, and guns that I'm positive he must carry a concealed weapons permit for when he wears long-sleeved shirts. 

Looking into McCoy's now-grizzled (okay, maybe not grizzled, but he doesn't look like he's 12 any more) face, there's no doubt that every Texas player sees in him the leader of a good, possibly great football team. In 2006, it was still Vince Young's team. Last year, McCoy started taking control, especially with an impassioned speech after the loss to Oklahoma, but turnovers cost him crucial respect.

This season, the team is unequivocally his. He's taken on the role Vince Young used to occupy, challenging his teammates when necessary, and keeping them loose when they need a spark. He sets the tone for the team's toughness, taking on defenders at the goal line against Rice and forcing not one, not two, but three Colorado defenders to bring him down. Little country boy Colt McCoy, starring on one of the biggest stages in college football. What a story.

BOOM! The first great test of his Texas career awaits a sleepless Will Muschamp. The Statesman reminds that Muschamp wasn't promised his $425,000 just to scheme a defense capable of stopping Oklahoma, but it sure feels that way this week. In a coaching match-up long dominated by Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma staff, Muschamp is the Texas wild card, the first coordinator in Mack Brown's tenure whose stratospheric trajectory ensures he will give the Longhorn defense any advantage possible. So far, that advantage has resulted in 3.8 sacks per game and 222 yards lost by opponents, with both numbers leading the nation. Oops, I forgot that stats are for losers.  Oh well. Not only has the defense taken on Muschamp's fiery personality, but with some tricks still up his sleeve and a knack for in-game adjustments, there is no doubt that Muschamp will put the Texas defense in a position to win the game. He believes there's nothing the defense can't do to win the game:

We've taken positive steps every week. I've never watched a film and thought that there was no way we could do this or that we couldn't handle something. It's just a matter of the reps and the experience.

And for all those Texas fans worried about Muschamp leaving after the season? Well, a close friend says in the Statesman article that Muschamp's wife is tired of moving and that Coach Boom may have found a home in Austin. With athletic department coffers full to overflowing, rest assured that money won't be a factor in keeping Will Muschamp in burnt orange for the next several years.

More DKR expansion. The north end zone expansion wasn't ambitious enough for planners who envision a stadium expanding more quickly than Mark Mangino's waistline. The south end zone is next in line. The temporary bleacher seats beneath the Godzillatron will be replaced with permanent seats, while increasing capacity by 500. The football academic center will increase from 2,500 square feet to 8,500 square feet. The recent improvements to the football stadium, coupled with the new renovations and the upgrade to the Erwin Center, addition of the Cooley Pavilion, and renovations to UFCU Disch-Falk Field all mean that Texas remains near the top of the college sports world in terms of quality facilities. Even more reason to love being a Longhorn. Just sit back and watch the recruits continue to pour into Austin.

From the Land of Miscellany. This just in from the news room: It's 12:59 and OU still sucks. Groundbreaking stuff...More 2005 TX/OU highlights...Colt McCoy's start to the 2008 season is the best ever for Texas quarterbacks...Roy Miller is a beast...Texas still looking for third wide receiver.

Hook 'Em!